Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chunk Cookies

When Muppet had a hankerin’ for some peanut butter and chocolate action last week, we thought of a couple different ways to satisfy her craving. First, was to make a batch of Buckeyes, which are always a hit, but to me seemed out of season. Is it just me, or do you all find Buckeyes to be a winter holiday treat? It seems that the only time I EVER see them is when they are being served at a holiday cookie swap, or as part of a dessert party spread at a Christmas open house.

Her next thought ran to modifying her world famous ganache filled cupcakes to have a peanut butter ganache filling, which was an idea I was totally getting behind until I looked at the clock and realized that we didn’t have the time for such an elaborate undertaking…ugh. What we settled on were these lovely peanut butter cookies dotted with milk chocolate chunks, that come to us courtesy of the original Baked: New Frontiers in Baking cookbook by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito.

Not only are these cookies delicious in an old-school “gee….these cookies taste just like the awesome ones Mom used to make me when I was a kid….only BETTER” kind of way, but crafting them fit our schedule perfectly that day, as we were able to make the dough, let it rest in the fridge (required) while Muppet was at her soccer game, then bake them off just before dinner so that we could enjoy their still warm perfection for dessert.

The only thing we’d do differently when making these next time (I note this in the recipe below) is to add a bit more chocolate to the mix as a few of our cookies were woefully short of the good stuff. Oh….and we’d make a double batch too, FOR SURE!

Cheers – Steve

Peanut Butter Cookies with Milk Chocolate Chunks

by: Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito from their cookbook "Baked - New Frontiers in Baking"

Instructions

Sift the flour, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars together until fluffy. Scrape down the bowl and add the eggs one at a time, beating until each is incorporated. The mixture will look light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and peanut butter and beat until just incorporated.

Add half the of the flour mixture and mix for 15 seconds. Add the remaining flour and mix until just incorporated.

Using a spatula or wooden spoon, fold in the chocolate. Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate at least 3 hours.

Preheat the oven to 375 ℉. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Drop the dough by rounded tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets, at least 2 inches apart. With the palm of your hand, very gently press each cookie down so it forms a very tall disk shape. Do NOT press too hard and do NOT press it flat.

Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with granulated sugar and bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until the tops of the cookies just begin to brown.

Remove the pan from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Use a spatula to transfer the individual cookies to the rack to cool completely (although they are delicious warm).

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I started Oui, Chef a few years back as a means to chronicle my efforts to teach my kids a few things about cooking, and how their food choices over time effect not only their own health, but that of our local food